Ford Motor Company announced the appointment of Filipino executive Jesus Metelo 'Met' Arias as the new managing director of Ford Vietnam. Arias, who is currently serving as director, Customer Service Division, Ford ASEAN will replace Laurent Charpentier, who has been appointed operations director, Ford of France.

In his new role, Arias will be responsible for leading the successful and ongoing product-led transformation of Ford's business in Vietnam. This is being driven by the continued introduction of new vehicles, as well as the expansion of the company's dealer network and customer service experience.

"We're proud to have Met take on this new leadership role and are confident in his ability to lead a strong focus on serving our customers in Vietnam, while continuing to drive the success of our business in Vietnam," said Matt Bradley, president Ford ASEAN.

Since 2004, Arias has been serving in key leadership roles in Ford's customer service operations in Thailand, India and the company’s Asia Pacific and Africa region. This includes serving as director, Customer Service Division, Ford ASEAN, for the last three years, with overall responsibility for Ford's after-sales and service operations in ASEAN, as well as Japan. During this time, Met has led a strategic and determined effort to further enhance Ford's overall customer experience and customer care.

Arias is the second Filipino Ford executive to have a leadership role for the Blue Oval brand for a country. Prior to this role, Arias served as customer service director, Ford India, from 2008-2010, where he was instrumental in transforming the local distribution network for Parts and Service in preparation of Ford's product led growth in India.

Arias also previously served as service strategy director, Ford Asia Pacific, and vice president of Customer Service for the Ford and Mazda brands in both Thailand and the Philippines. He also led the launch of the Mazda brand in the Philippines in 2004.

Arias joined Ford Philippines in 1998 as dealer operations manager. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from De La Salle University.